novelAbuy Chapter 32 Roujiamo !
Chapter 32 Roujiamo !
Chapter 32 Roujiamo (Chinese Hamburger)!
In the afternoon, in the backyard of the imperial kitchen, besides the cicadas still tirelessly howling, there was another kind of noise.
Tap, tap, tap!
The sound was not loud, but rhythmic, like someone striking a thick cowhide drum with a wooden mallet, dull yet resilient.
Su Mu stood in front of the chopping board, the thick-backed kitchen knife in his hand rising and falling.
On the cutting board is a piece of freshly cooked pork belly.
This meat wasn't the usual neatly cut square pieces of braised pork; it was a large, whole piece of meat with skin and flesh still attached, trembling slightly.
The meat was reddish-brown with a translucent, amber-like texture. When Su Mu used an iron hook to scoop it out of the bubbling, deep earthenware jar, it was still dripping with thick, crimson broth.
This vat of old brine has been simmering for three days and three nights.
It contains not only those dried herbs and spices, but more importantly, a thick layer of oil seal.
When the lid was lifted, there was no overpowering aroma; all the flavors were locked in the broth and simmered into the meat.
"It's done."
Su Mu muttered to himself, his sword still moving.
The piece of pork belly, weighing at least two pounds, quickly disintegrated under the knife.
But there's a specific way to cut it.
It can't be minced, that would be dumpling filling; nor can it be cut into chunks, that would make it difficult for the flavors to penetrate.
It has to be chopped, the meat chopped into fibers, the skin must be connected to the tendons, the tendons must be connected to the meat, with alternating layers of fat and lean, chopped finely but not mushy.
Knock knock knock!
After chopping a few times, Su Mu took a spoon and scooped a spoonful of boiling broth from the pot next to him and poured it over the top.
The braising liquid seeped into the minced meat, and the already tender meat fibers instantly absorbed the juices, becoming oily and shiny.
"That sounds so nice!"
A small head peeked through the crack in the door.
Today, Xiao Sizi changed into a clean, light yellow dress, her hair was neatly combed, and there were red ribbons tied to her two little buns.
Having probably learned her lesson from playing in the mud yesterday, she was very careful when she entered the room this time, tiptoeing as if afraid of stepping into some kind of hole.
Li Lizhi followed behind, still carrying the large food box in her hand.
"What sounds good?" Su Mu's knife didn't stop, its rhythm was extremely strong.
"That voice."
Little Sizi ran to the stove, not minding the heat, and rested her chin on the wooden stool next to Su Mu's thigh. Her big eyes followed the knife in Su Mu's hand as it moved up and down. "Tap tap tap—it sounds like she's hungry."
Su Mu was delighted.
This ability to make associations is amazing.
"It's okay if you're hungry."
3
Su Mu pushed the chopped meat aside and picked up the thing covered with a white cloth from the bamboo basket next to him.
Lift the white cloth, and you'll find a stack of freshly baked flatbreads.
This cake doesn't look very appealing.
It's white, only about the size of a palm, slightly concave in the middle, and surrounded by a ring of burnt yellow. It feels hard in your hand, even a little rough.
"Is this today's meal?"
Li Lizhi put down the food box and looked at the hardened white cake with some suspicion. "This—how can you even bite into this? It looks harder than the stone cakes that Father Emperor gave to his ministers."
The pastries served in the palace were supposed to be soft and fluffy, while this stuff that looked like a lumpy lump of dough was really unappetizing.
"This is called Baiji bun."
Su Mu picked up a pancake.
This pancake is made with semi-fermented dough, without oil, and is directly dry-fried in a frying pan.
It's all about the "iron ring, tiger's back, chrysanthemum heart"—thin and crispy skin, soft and fluffy inside.
He gently sliced the edge of the pancake with the tip of the knife.
Click!
A very crisp cracking sound.
The seemingly hard shell cracked open instantly.
Su Mu didn't cut the pancake completely, leaving a small connecting piece, and casually used the flat side of the knife to push the pancake apart.
Steam rose from the inside of the pancake, carrying a pure aroma of wheat.
"Watch."
Su Mu picked up the chopped, mangled meat and used the broad blade of his knife to scrape it up.
The minced meat, coated in braising sauce, was a large, trembling lump.
Stuff it into the crust.
Full to the brim.
The meat juices instantly seeped into the honeycomb-like holes on the inside of the pancake.
The originally dry white cake, in that instant, was like parched land receiving rain, greedily absorbing the rich oil.
Finally, Su Mu scooped up another spoonful of the clear broth with red oil on top and poured it into the gap.
Close the cake.
The once white steamed bun now reveals a generous amount of rosy meat filling on its sides, with broth dripping from the edges.
"Take it."
Su Mu wrapped the lower half in oiled paper and handed it to Xiao Sizi.
"It's a little hot, don't swallow your tongue."
Xiao Sizi held the "giant hamburger" in both hands, which was thicker than her palms, feeling the scalding heat from her palms and the rich aroma of meat that went straight into her nostrils.
The flavor is neither as sweet and greasy as braised pork nor as delicate as beggar's chicken.
This is a truly authentic meaty flavor, mixed with the smoky aroma of flour charred over a fire—simple, substantial, and reassuring.
"Awoo!"
The little girl opened her mouth wide, only to find that the pancake was too thick to bite into in one go.
She tilted her head and bit down from the side.
Click!
First came the sound of teeth cutting through the crispy crust.
Followed by.
puff!
That's the sound of teeth squeezing the minced meat, causing the juices to burst in the mouth.
Xiao Sizi froze.
It wasn't as hard to chew as I had imagined.
The seemingly hard outer shell crumbles with a single bite, and even the crumbs that fall off are fragrant.
The noodles inside were soaked in the meat broth, and were as soft and chewy as clouds.
The chopped braised pork didn't require much chewing; the fat melted into oil, the lean meat into crumbs, and your mouth was filled with that salty, savory, and rich sauce.
"Ugh—!"
Little Sizi stomped his foot suddenly, his eyes wide open, a drop of bright red oil still stuck to the corner of his mouth.
"Good 7! This good 7 is dead!"
Ignoring the heat, she chewed rapidly with bulging cheeks, mumbling between bites, "The meat inside moves! It goes right down my throat with every bite!"
Li Lizhi swallowed hard as she looked at her younger sister's pathetic state.
She took the second one that Su Mu handed her.
It was scalding hot to the touch.
The surface of the pancake is a bit rough, and it feels very textured to the touch.
Li Lizhi tentatively took a bite.
The crispy outside and tender inside, with a perfect balance of dry and moist texture, instantly won over her taste buds.
In the palace, meat was either too oily, and you'd get tired of it after just a couple of pieces; or noodles were too dry and needed soup.
But this thing...
The dryness of the flatbread perfectly balances the greasiness of the fatty meat, while the richness of the meat juices gives the flatbread its soul. One bite, and you get noodles, meat, and soup—the satisfaction is indescribable.
"What is this?"
Li Lizhi swallowed a large mouthful, feeling a warm sensation in her stomach. "You said it's called—Baiji Bun?"
"That's the name of the cake."
Su Mu scooped out another piece of meat and placed it on the cutting board, then raised the cleaver again.
Tap, tap, tap!
The rhythmic sound rang out again.
"This dish is called Roujiamo (Chinese hamburger)."
"Meat-filled bun?"
Little Sizi was busy licking the oil off his hands when he heard the name. He tilted his head and thought for a long time.
She looked at the pancake in her hand, then at the meat inside.
It's clearly two big pancakes with meat inside.
"That guy's a liar!"